ScrapYard Armory

Day 1 is in the books and I kept myself quite busy, barely allowing myself time to eat.  Eating (and now sleeping) are for the weak of course.  So many games to play, so little time.

Solaris Melee Challenge

I spent the morning taking on all comers in the arenas of Solaris.  The fighting was unusually fierce for a free for all.  The entire group of players ended up in a shifting, but concentrated area of the giant map.  I attribute the extra carnage to the unique scoring system and game changes.  If you are not in the mix you are not going to be getting any fame or fortune.

Kudos to the many Demo Agents running the event.  The use of poker chips was an excellent addition as well as the random game changes (game play randomly changed from normal, ranged only, and physical only).

Oddly the first ‘Mech to die was a hapless UrbanMech whose brave pilot wouldn’t let his ‘Mech stay down and managed plenty of mayhem before being ganged up on and slaughtered.

Camo Specs Diorama

The diorama this year took an interesting turn.  Instead of the usual placement inside the dealer room with the rest of the Catalyst fanfare and official swag, it was placed inside the gaming area.  A Camo Specs artist alluded to the recent unseen news as a possible reason for the change in location.

There are three battles depicted this year; one in each of the pivotal eras of the game.  The Succession Wars, the Clan Invasion, and the most recent Word of Blake Jihad are all marvelously represented.  The Camo Specs team have really outdone themselves.  Pictures of course speak for themselves.

Notable Sightings

The usual suspects were on hand to meet and greet at the Catalyst booth.  I got to shake hands with Randall and Herb and managed to get my ripped apart couple of pages from last years Blake Documents signed.  I plan on filling up those pages as much as I can in tomorrow’s BattleTech seminar.

The Canon Events

There were two canon events and while I did not play in either, I did snap a few pictures.  Word of Blake was a fixture in each event with the Draconis Combine and Ghost Bears as opposing forces.  Both battles were played on the same planet, supposedly a District Capital within the Draconis Combine.  No doubt a counter-invasion on the part of the Combine and a general opportunistic smack down by the Bears.

I did not get a full report so I must defer to any other gamers who had the gaming fortitude to play so massive a game.

Other Games and Interesting Tid-Bits

No convention is complete without a healthy smattering of demo games and the occasional Con Girl.  I got a chance to play some interesting games including WarGods of Aegyptus, Malifaux, and Leviations.  Lots of great stuff.  I’m devoting a better part of my day on Friday to make the rounds proper and get my absolute fill of demos and gaming swag.